Date: 2008-02-04
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Washington D.C. – A new report by a group of Georgetown University undergraduates reveals important trends in the relationship between religious advocacy groups and U.S. politics. Driven by awareness of the importance of religion to United States politics, especially as it relates to the 2008 U.S. presidential election, the report “Religious Advocates: A Force in U.S. Politics?” examines the influence of religious advocacy on national politics today.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Washington D.C. – A new report by a group of Georgetown University undergraduates reveals important trends in the relationship between religious advocacy groups and U.S. politics. Driven by awareness of the importance of religion to United States politics, especially as it relates to the 2008 U.S. presidential election, the report “Religious Advocates: A Force in U.S. Politics?” examines the influence of religious advocacy on national politics today.
"This year's undergraduate fellows researched a topic that is relevant and of growing importance in today's political climate," says Thomas Banchoff, director of the Berkley Center. "Here we have a tremendous case of students acting as producers and not just consumers of knowledge."
The report finds that most religious organizations prioritize their work according to their faith tradition. A combination of grassroots mobilization and “insider” advocacy is utilized when reaching out to policymakers. In relation to partisanship, the report finds a mixed message. On the one hand, the nature of religious advocates’ agenda tends to favor one party over the other, but the student researchers note that in order to be successful, religious organizations must reach across both aisles in order to receive broad support for their issues.
In addition, the report finds that coalitions are often used as a tool for strengthening a religious advocacy organization’s message. These coalitions tend to evolve fluidly in order to best represent the issue-based interests of religious advocates at a given point in time. With regard to religious language, the students found that Christian advocacy groups most frequently employ religious language than other faith traditions in advocacy efforts. The report also reveals that religious advocacy groups feel their religious status is a distinguishing feature that gives them an advantage over secular organizations in achieving their political objectives.
"Working on this project gave us the opportunity to interview leaders in the religious advocacy community and other key decision-makers," say Fellows and report project leaders Jenna Cossman (COL'09) and Todd Wintner (SFS'08). "Our findings are especially relevant for the current political climate and we hope the results of this report shed light on the role of religious advocates in U.S. politics."
The Berkley Center’s 2007 Undergraduate Fellows Program gave a select group of ten Georgetown undergraduate students the resources to study the role of religious advocacy groups in United States politics. Under the direction of Professor Clyde Wilcox of the Government Department, the Fellows spent the 2007 academic year defining their research agenda, studying the key issues as a group, and learning from experts in seminars with speakers such as a prominent religious advocate and a leading journalist of religion and politics.
This is the second annual Berkley Center Undergraduate Fellows report. In 2006, the Fellows studied the role of religious and secular organizations in development policy and released a report with their findings entitled, “Secular & Religious Approaches to Global Development: A Common Ground?”
The 2007 Berkley Center Undergraduate Fellows include: Jenna Cossman, a junior from Potomac, Md., majoring in government and theology; Catherine Currie, a junior from Boston, Mass., majoring in theology; Camille Kolstad, a junior from Saint James, Minn., majoring in political economy and theology; Nadia Inji Khan, a senior from Cary, N.C. studying Arabic and studio art; Eric Nowicki, a senior from East Brunswick, N.J. majoring in government and Arabic; Megan O’Neill, a junior from Waco, Texas studying culture and politics; Jeff Pan, a junior from Boston, Mass., majoring in culture and politics; Nick Sementelli, a junior from Dallas, Texas studying culture and politics; Eric Wind, a junior from Manitowoc, Wis., majoring in international politics; and, Todd Wintner, a senior from Pepper Pike, Ohio studying international politics.
About the Berkley Center
The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs was created in March 2006 through a generous grant by William R. Berkley. The Center explores the intersection of religion with contemporary global challenges: relations among states and societies; democracy and human rights; global development; and cultural globalization. Two foundational premises guide the Center's work: that scholarship on religion and its role in world affairs can help to address these challenges effectively; and that the open engagement of religious traditions with one another and with the wider society can promote peace. For more information visit: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/.
About Georgetown University
Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on its three campuses in Washington, DC. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.